High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation. ~ Charles F. Kettering

In the personal development world, it’s a given that our expectations play a significant role in the outcomes we manifest in our lives.

The Law of Expectation contends that whatever you expect with confidence, whether this is positive or negative, becomes your reality.

In other words, you create the reality you live in, based on your thoughts.

When you embark on a new adventure, do you sit for a while to think what you might expect to happen on this journey?

Imagine that you are you planning a trip to Disney World. Do you spend time thinking about how you’re going to get there? Do you make reservations? Do you spend countless hours mapping out your days?

Of course you do. You do the “pre-trip leg work” with an expectation that you will have a great time. And more often than not, when you plan ahead you are granted the outcome you anticipated.

You spend time planning, thinking, focusing on your trip because you know this will help you create the vacation – the outcome — you want.

What would happen if you put that much focus, energy and thought into your nutritional goals?

Many people put more planning into their vacations than they do their weight loss and health goals.

They don’t have high expectations; they don’t set intentions; they don’t focus on outcomes. Instead, they just let chips fall where they may.

In the end, they are often disappointed by the results and wonder why success eludes them.

They expect a successful outcome even though they do not do the pre-trip leg work to ensure they get the outcome they want.

The literal definition of expectation is “the act or state of looking forward or anticipating.”

In the arena of your weight control, do you anticipate a successful outcome before you start on your path to your goal?

Do you set high expectations when you prepare your mind, body, and spirit for each round you do on The hCG Protocol?

Here are five steps to setting high expectations:

Be clear – When you embark on a journey, make sure that you’re very clear on what you expect to accomplish. Know without a doubt the weight you want to reach, the size you want to wear, the way you will look and how you will feel.

Shoot for long term, but focus on short term – Plan each small step. See the goal in your mind, then work your way backward – step by step – until you create a map that where get you where you want to be.

Celebrate your accomplishments – Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for a job well done. This encourages you to follow through, no matter what.

Learn from setbacks – If obstacles pop up along the way, learn from them; take a detour and don’t make the same mistake twice.

Adjust when necessary – Sometimes people lose steam after unexpected roadblocks. This is where you adjust your expectation but refuse to beat yourself up over it. You simply re-evaluate, and then you set up a new expectation.

Expectations are like road signs that help you stay clear about an outcome you want. They help you stay focused and on the right track so that you reach the destination – and goals — you planned for when you set out on your journey.

Remember, the adage goes: If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.

Positive expectations should be the first set before you set foot on a path to change.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. ~ Mohandas K. Gandhi

We hear a lot about “setting intentions” to have more success in our endeavors.

What exactly is intention? And how do you set it?

Let’s look at the literal definition of the word intention: an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result.

Intention starts in your head. It begins as a desire. Then it becomes a thought that you carry with you and focus on to affect change in your life.

You have used intentions throughout your life, and you might not have even been aware of it. Your intentions have created whatever your current situation in life is. If your intentions have been splattered, unbalanced, unstable, or unclear, then you probably haven’t had much success in reaching your goals.

For some, understanding that your thoughts have created your reality is a hard pill to swallow. But, don’t shoot the messenger. I’ve had to come to grips with this myself.

This law of intention is just like the law of gravity, whether you believe in it or not, you are still affected by it. The sooner you realize how to harness that energy of intention, the sooner you can make positive changes in your life.

When intentions are clear, everything lines up to make even the most impossible, possible. When you lack intention, you meander without meaning or direction.

Imagine your intentions like a tripod. A tripod has three legs. People use tripods because the three legs provide support, stabilization and balance. The camera needs all three to focus and create a clear picture.

Similarly, your intention uses the three “legs” of desire, thoughts and focus to create clarity and stability as you move toward your desired outcomes. Without one of the three legs, your tripod becomes unstable and your intention will lose its power to manifest in your life.

Desire – In the book A Happy Pocketful of Money, there is an entire chapter dedicated to banishing the word “want” from your vocabulary.

Never want anything. Wanting makes the Universe give you the conditions that create the perpetual state of wanting. Have passion, have desire, have intentions, but want not.

Your desires are unique to you and are extremely important. You must be clear and specific about your desires. Are you saying to yourself, “I desire to lose weight?”

That statement is a general, nonspecific form of a desire. It is not detailed enough to gain a result.

Instead say, “I desire to weigh 128 pounds, fit in size 2-4, be able to fit into all the rides at Disney World, be able to purchase life insurance without a rider, be able to wear that cute little polka dot dress I have been eyeing at the department store, be healthy, be off of medications …”

The list could go on.

Are you that clear? Do you actually SEE yourself there? What does it look like? When you reach 128 pounds, what will you do every day? Where will you be?

Thoughts – This leg is a tricky one. Imagine your thoughts are a white canvas, and the painting on that canvas is what you want to manifest. Your thoughts are what you think about when you see that picture.

Are your thoughts positive, or are they full of doubt and fear? Do you allow your thoughts to slip into negativity such as “That isn’t possible! That can’t be done! There is no way I can look that good”?

Focus – This leg is LOADED. It has nothing to do with determination, but rather focus is about clarity and observation. When you are mindful of the choices you make and the actions you take in your life, you will find that you are presented with opportunities that will help you along your intention’s path. First, you must clearly see yourself. Then you will be able to see opportunities for change.

To reach your desired weight loss goals, use the three-legged tripod of intention. Align your desires, your thoughts and your focus then observe a clear picture of how intention works magic to change your life.

My method is different. I do not rush into actual work. When I get a new idea, I start at once building it up in my imagination, and make improvements and operate the device in my mind. When I have gone so far as to embody everything in my invention, every possible improvement I can think of, and when I see no fault anywhere, I put into concrete form the final product of my brain. ~ Nikola Tesla

In short, he believed that energy could be passed from one object to another without wires. He proved it many times in a lab by generating power to a light bulb more than 7 feet away without the use of wires. He believed that the energy of brainwaves could be used to affect the world and reality. In other words, he believed you could tap into the natural energy of the Earth to affect an intended target.

I’m sharing this with you not only because it’s interesting, but because I believe using the power of your brainwaves can help you reach your desired goals.

Alpha waves are most interesting. When our brains generate Alpha waves, we are virtually on the same ‘wavelength’ as the Earth. So, in a sense, when we are in a relaxed, reflective state, we are we are ‘one’ with the Earth.

Cool, huh?

Theta waves are where creativity is born. When we are in a daydream state, we can come up with our most creative ideas. Tesla’s quote above implies that when we are in a drowsy, daydreaming state, we can come up with our best thoughts, plans and goals.

Some of the best ways to reach these brain states are through meditation, sitting quietly and relaxing, or simply allowing your mind to get quiet, still and just be.

In these relaxed, empty places, Alpha waves connect the Theta and Beta states.

When most people daydream, they start in a Theta state, then jump straight into Beta without allowing Alpha waves to make important connections. Tesla, on the other hand, suggests we start daydreaming in Theta, then reflect and consider in Alpha before we move to the active Beta state. Allow your mind to dream, reflect, ponder and then take action to reach your goals.

For example, how often do you daydream about your goals in weight loss? Do you sit and daydream about what you will do when you are thin and healthy? Where will you go? What will you wear? Will you do your hair differently? Is it a different color? Will you be in another city? Will you have another job? Will you be with a partner?

Active daydreaming means seeing yourself as if what you dream about is already a reality. This type of thought allows your Theta and Alpha waves to think outside of the box. Your mind’s eye can envision a whole new reality before you even take the first step.

I challenge you to think like Tesla: Construct your life in your daydreams as a thin, healthy person. Include all aspects of your life that will change once you reach your goal weight. Work out the kinks in your mind by allowing your Alpha and Theta states to wander. See the end picture and envision all those things that you imagine would make you happy. See your life working effortlessly. Spend a day in that life, from waking to sleeping; what would you be doing differently?

Spend at least 10 minutes a day allowing your daydream come to life in your mind.

If you can dream it, you can achieve it. Like Tesla, allow your active daydreams to manifest a new reality.

Use the energy in your mind to create the results you want in the outside world. Before you know it, your inner light, like Tesla’s light bulb, will shine, effortlessly.